My grandmothers always used Crisco for their buttermilk biscuits. But I'm sure for them it was a modern day convenience food. They both grew up on farms in the South and had to render lard when they were young girls.

Crisco and Lard are interchangeable as far as cooking properties are concerned. Lard will give ou a flakier and crisper product, with a bit more flavor. Crisco is not more healthy, just differently unhealthy.

I use butter in biscuits and 1 C buttermilk. I also make them with only 2T of butter, 1/3 C buttermilk and 2/3 C cream. Try to keep on the damp side. A bit trickier to handle but makes a better biscuit. Very good with homemade strawberry jam and a dollap of whipped cream.

Please read the above link regarding the rise and fall of crisco. For your own health and the health of the people we so lovingly cook for, do not use crisco, margarine, hydrogenated fats, including hydrogentated peanut butters, anything made with cotton seed oil, palm oil, coconut oil. These products are very harmful to our health. Trans fats, artifically hydrogenated saturated products are not good for humans. Please read up on these fats and make your own decisions.

Fats that are okay are butter, olive oil, unsaturated oils, even lard. Lard has a high mono-unsaturated level which is good.

Personally, I use butter, olive oil, and canola oil. I use lard only because I have access to some freshly rendered stuff, not the commercial product.